


We Paved These Streets

by bananacabana



Category: Glee
Genre: Famous Kurt, Homeless Blaine, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-01-09
Packaged: 2018-01-08 01:22:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1126729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananacabana/pseuds/bananacabana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Homeless!Blaine and eventual famous!Kurt. When Kurt moves to New York, he expects everything to suddenly be better, but when he finds a lonely boy in the alley, he realises that not everyone’s dreams get to come true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In a lot of ways, New York isn't exactly what Kurt expected. If he's honest, the picture he had painted in his mind might have been a little naive. He'd envisioned a cosy apartment in the upper west side, close to Central Park where he could go jogging in the early mornings before class. He hadn't anticipated an old, run-down loft all the way out in Bushwick with creaky wooden floors and a heater that barely works. Still, he's in New York, he's made it and he is more than ready for his dreams to start coming true. The only thing getting him down is that all around him is evidence of dreams not coming true.

Rachel spots him first. Peeking out at the limited view they have, she sees a positively scruffy looking man, huddled up with his knees pressed against his chest, looking more desolate than Kurt has ever seen anyone look before.

"Isn't it just heartbreaking?" Rachel comments, closing the curtains and shutting the image out of her life just like that. "But that won't be us, Kurt. We're really doing this, all of our dreams are going to come true, I just know it!" Kurt smiles to appease her, easily forgetting about the man outside. With the curtains closed, it's far too easy to pretend he isn't there, along with the tens of thousands of other homeless people in the city. It's illogical to feel responsible for any of them, it's not exactly a problem that Kurt can fix so why waste time worrying? Live and let live, as he always tells himself. Kurt's in New York, the city where dreams come true, there's no way he's letting the cold, harsh reality of life get him down.

He doesn't even give the man a second thought until he sees him a second time, after his first day at NYADA. Sitting in the same spot, Kurt recognises him immediately. Without thinking, he stops momentarily, maybe it's curiosity, maybe he wants a closer look at the suffering of another human being to make him more thankful for what he does have, Kurt can't say. He stops and in that split second, the man looks up just as Kurt discovers that he's not a man at all but a boy. The thick beard and shaggy hair had been deceiving enough for Kurt to estimate his age to be somewhere between thirty and forty perhaps but sitting across the street from him is a boy barely older than himself if even that. Shaken, Kurt makes his way back up to the loft, suddenly the vision of him is not something he can just shut out as easily as closing the curtain. Suddenly the weight of his misfortune falls upon Kurt much heavier than before. It's stupid, it's incredibly foolish to feel guilty yet Kurt can't help but feel the shame like an unreachable itch inside him. Here he is, living out his dream and all he can do is complain that the loft could maybe do with double glazed windows while outside is that boy who has nothing.

Kurt passes him again the next day, it seems that the alley must be a permanent spot for him. He's never had to think from the point of view of a homeless person before but once Kurt takes a moment to consider, he can understand why. There, he's shielded from the wind and mostly sheltered from the rain. There are enough passersby to drop a few coins beside him and nearby are enough stores for him to purchase what he can whenever he's saved up enough money. Although it isn't yet cold, autumn is fast approaching and the nights are becoming cooler and cooler every day and spending every moment outside must take its toll. As a college student, Kurt doesn't exactly have much money going spare, nonetheless he still roots through his pocket to drop a handful of coins next to the boy. Before he even has a chance to look up, Kurt hurries on his way.

* * *

It becomes a routine. He doesn't tell Rachel, he doesn't want to know what she'd say if she knew he was squandering all of his extra cash on a person he's never actually spoken to before, but every day, Kurt drops whatever small amount of change he has next to the boy, rarely stopping for longer than a few seconds before he hurries upstairs. One week Kurt does the math and it adds up to a mere $6.34 in one week, barely enough to feed him each day but it's all Kurt can afford. Besides, it's better than nothing and it manages to ease his guilt slightly at least. He still can't figure out why exactly he feels so responsible.

Before he knows it, Kurt finds himself opting for cheaper brands at the supermarket, walking instead of taking the bus, even cutting down on his online shopping just to have a little extra to give each week to the boy outside.

"Thank you," a voice says before Kurt has the chance to hurry away. Instead, he stops at the sound, again the beard and long shaggy hair had deceived him and the boy's voice is not gruff and cracked liked he had imagined but velvety smooth.

"You're welcome," Kurt says, rushing back before he has a chance to say anything else. Once he's back in the loft, he realises he's shaking and he can't figure out why this boy has him so intimidated. Kurt might be burdened with this sudden guilt but he's sure the other boy doesn't blame him, or at least not him personally. Kurt hates it, standing on this pedestal of privilege and no amount of money that he gives to the homeless stranger seems to be enough. Every day he passes him and every day he's still living on the streets. Every day the weather grows more bitter, a constant reminder that the nights are getting colder and longer.

Then disaster happens. One freezing cold morning in mid-November, Kurt is already running late and his frustrations run at an all-time high when he's standing cold, naked and shivering in the bathroom, dripping wet and muttering elaborate curse words under his breath. While he was showering, the water had suddenly ran ice cold and now he's faced with the decision of either going to class with shampoo still in his hair or braving the cold shower. In the end, he decides to just stay home.

The problem remains, however, that he and Rachel are in desperate need of a new boiler, and with hardly any savings between them they find themselves stuck. In the end, Kurt lives for a total of one week without central heating or warm water and it is one of the most challenging weeks of his life. When such simple necessities are denied, life suddenly becomes impossible. Kurt can't shower in the mornings, instead he and Rachel are forced to spend hours in the evening heating up pots of water on the stove (which doesn't exactly do wonders for their gas bill) in order to bathe in a half filled tub. Kurt has never felt less glamourous.

In the end, they manage to hire someone to fix it but with labour and parts, the bill isn't cheap. On top of that, the two of them both know it won't be a permanent fix, the thing is at least twenty years old and they need to start saving to get a new one for the next time it inevitably breaks down.

The sound of glass clinking on the table interrupts Kurt from his copy of Vogue as he glances up to see Rachel has placed a fairly large jar on the table.

"We need to start saving," she declares and just like that, she unknowingly denies a poor homeless boy down below food for god knows how long. There's nothing Kurt can do, he can't exactly refuse to contribute, and the money his dad sends him along with what little he has left of his savings can only stretch so far.

What he really needs is a job.

Kurt avoids the alley on his way to class Monday morning, feeling a little more human thanks to his first decent shower in over a week but he can't bear to see the boy, knowing that he now has nothing left to give him. He'd been dropping spare change beside him every day without fail for the last two months, he's certain the boy will notice when that support suddenly stops. And Kurt really doesn't know him at all, perhaps he's violent, maybe he'll confront Kurt and rob him of everything he's got…

It's unlikely judging from the sweet smile Kurt has received from him in return every day but the fear still niggles at the back of his mind.

On his way home, despite sticking to the other side of the road and keeping his eyes trained sternly ahead of him, Kurt still sees him there in his peripheral vision, hungry, cold and dirty. He crosses the street and the boy smiles up at him as he always does and Kurt's heart simply breaks.

"Hi," he says. It's the second time they've ever exchanged words and Kurt still feels his heart beating in his ears, wondering how a simple boy he hardly even knows has the capability of making him this way.

"Hey," he replies politely, the smile still stretched across his bearded face. Kurt sometimes likes to pretend he's happy to see him rather than anticipating the money but today he can't force himself to do that.

"I…I just…I'm so sorry," Kurt's voice breaks as he forces the words out. The boy frowns and Kurt guesses that he's finally figured out that he probably won't be receiving anything from him today.

"Why?" he asks calmly, the confusion clear in his brow.

"I have nothing for you today," Kurt tells him, voice small and ashamed as what he's done finally comes into perspective. He's denying this boy a few measly coins that could make the difference between having dinner or going to sleep hungry so he can have warm showers in the morning. Annoyingly, the boy merely shrugs.

"That's okay."

"And…and I'm not going to have anything for you for a while either," Kurt sighs, deciding he might as well be honest though he can't figure out why he feels like he owes this stranger so much. "We need to start saving up for a new boiler and…well, we're struggling enough as it is."

"It's fine, honestly," the boy is quick to assure, "you've already given me so much. I don't even know how I'm supposed to thank you enough as it is," he says with a small laugh. Kurt frowns, wondering how he can stay so chipper despite everything. Kurt wants to cry just looking at him and here he is, trying to cheer Kurt up for feeling so bad for him. He feels like the worst kind of person

"What's your name?" Kurt asks kindly, kneeling down before taking a seat beside him on the cold ground. The boy looks stunned before finally finding his voice to answer.

"Blaine."

"And how old are you, Blaine?"

"T…twenty two." Kurt raises a disbelieving eyebrow until he speaks again. "Eighteen," Blaine admits with a sigh.

"You're so young," Kurt says sadly. Blaine shrugs once more, eyes trained on his feet. Kurt can tell it's not really something he wants to talk about.

"Yeah, well…" he says dismissively.

There's a part of Kurt that just wants to invite the stranger upstairs with him, to feed him and keep him warm but he knows he can't do that. Rachel would go insane for one thing, they can barely afford things as it is without supporting a third and besides, he still doesn't really know him. He doesn't want to consider what his dad would think and he really doesn't want to be that guy that people will read about in the newspaper because he invited a murderer up to live with him.

"I'll be right back," Kurt says, rising to his feet and hurrying upstairs before Blaine even has a chance to respond. Rachel is thankfully not home as Kurt rummages through the kitchen, putting together whatever he can find. He packs it up and grabs an old coat that he doesn't wear any more before making his way back to alley to find Blaine exactly where he left him. His eyes widen considerably at the sight of the coat and he immediately begins to shake his head as Kurt hands it to him before he takes a seat once more.

"I can't-"

"Please?" Kurt begs.

"It's too much,"

"Nonsense!" Kurt says before presenting the food and placing the small tub in Blaine's free hand. "We didn't have much but there's a few sandwiches - I hope you like cheese - and there are some potato chips and half a pack of cookies."

"Why are you so nice to me?" Blaine asks, voicing the question that Kurt has been asking himself for weeks. "Not that I don't appreciate it! But, why? Most people just walk past, barely even giving me a second glance."

"I don't know," Kurt answers honestly. "I just know that I can't sit by and do nothing."

"I can't thank you enough," Blaine says, eyes drifting down to the meal he holds in his hands.

"Trust me, just seeing you smiling every day is enough for me, I promise." Predictably, Blaine smiles again and all that follows after that is a somewhat awkward silence. "I should probably get back," Kurt says, thinking that he can't exactly stay out there all night and immediately feeling guilty for the thought because Blaine  _has_  to.

"Wait!" Blaine's voice sounds as Kurt rises to his feet once again. For a moment Kurt thinks he's going to ask him to stay. "It's just you never told me your name. I want to thank you properly."

Kurt grins.

"It's Kurt."

"Thank you, Kurt. So much. I mean that," he says as earnest as is possible.

"You're welcome. And I mean that," Kurt replies before bidding him a good night and returning home.

* * *

From then on, a new routine forms. Every morning, Kurt makes two lunches, one for Blaine and a considerably smaller one for himself, Kurt is lucky enough to get breakfast and dinner, sacrificing his lunch isn't such a big deal if it means Blaine can have a little more. He hides his doings from Rachel, discreetly packing the two lunches in his bag while she showers and luckily, she doesn't notice the missing food. He starts leaving before Rachel in the mornings, claiming that he prefers walking and as he begins his commute he drops off the food to an ever grateful Blaine.

He has to admit that it's strange being on a first name basis with a homeless stranger, but then he supposes that it's even more unusual to make him lunch every day.

On his way home, Kurt will greet Blaine, sometimes staying for a while to chat. They don't talk about much, Kurt keeps him updated on what's happening on the world, sometimes bringing him a newspaper to read. Blaine likes to ask Kurt about NYADA and gets this faraway look in his eyes whenever Kurt tells him about his classes. He doesn't like talking about himself though, it feels too much like bragging but Blaine doesn't seem to mind. If he asks, then Kurt will talk.

On the days when Rachel is with him, Kurt will instead send a discreet smile Blaine's way as Rachel continues chatting none the wiser.

As to be expected, the weather grows bitter as December falls upon the city. Although Kurt frequently spots Blaine huddled up and shivering, he feels at least a little comforted by the fact that his old coat is being put to good use. He knows full well that Blaine wouldn't have lasted long with the light jacket he had worn before. Still, as the days get colder, Kurt begins to worry, no one should be subjected to this kind of weather day in day out and the thought that maybe Blaine won't make it through the winter echoes louder in his head each day.

He finally begins to consider if maybe he should just let Blaine stay with him. He'd have to talk it over with Rachel first but he certainly trusts Blaine by now. Things may be difficult financially but Kurt is certain that he won't be able to live with himself if something should happen to Blaine, knowing that he could have prevented it.

He makes the decision to at least talk it over with Rachel, deciding that she should probably know by now what has been going on.

It's an impossibly cold Saturday morning when Kurt wakes, having made the decision the night before to mention his newfound plan to Rachel. The fact that Kurt can see his own breath in his bedroom only solidifies his intent. When he finally forces himself out of bed, opening his curtains to get some light into the room, he is met with a sheer whiteness that is almost blinding. Once his eyes adjust, Kurt discovers to his horror that the city is layered with a thick blanket of snow.

Without thinking, Kurt grabs the first outfit he can, stuffing his feet into a pair of boots as he rushes out to the front door.

"Kurt! Have you seen? Isn't it beautifu-" But Kurt doesn't stay to chat, he rushes out of the door before Rachel can even finish her sentence.

Blaine isn't there. Kurt's heart pounds as he searches the alley to find not a single trace of Blaine, not even any footprints. This fact alleviates his panic a little as Kurt can only assume that Blaine had left before the blizzard had gotten too severe but he can't help but worry. Blaine was…well he'd like to think that they were friends by now and now he has no way of knowing where he is or if he's okay at all.

Trudging back upstairs, Rachel is waiting by the door with a concerned look.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing," Kurt responds absently.

Later that day, he and Rachel make a trip up into Manhattan to visit central park in the snow. It really is magical. The vast park has a fairy-tale quality to it that can't be beat. The ground glistens with ice while all around are children making snowmen and having snowball fights and yet all Kurt can feel is misery. How many people are frozen right now? How many people wondering if they'll even make it through the night while everyone around them marvels at how wonderful the silent killer is. Kurt has always loved the snow, ever since he was a kid, but now he's not so sure if he can feel the same way anymore. All he can wonder is whether or not Blaine is warm.

The next day, the city tenaciously carries on all around him. People are plowing snow in the streets, making the place functional as everyone continues business as usual. Kurt and Rachel attend class, shivering constantly until they finally return home, make themselves hot chocolate and try to warm up. The snow may have seemed beautiful and novel at first but now even Rachel is complaining about sore fingers and frozen toes.

The snow eventually melts as snow tends to do. The green grass slowly begins to poke through the thinning layers of ice as things start to return to as they were. The temperature becomes a little warmer but not by much and it's still next to impossible to keep warm in the loft. Kurt ends up wearing at least two sweaters whenever at home and he's never without socks on his feet.

He's not sure what exactly he's expecting regarding Blaine. It's been two weeks since he disappeared and now that the snow has almost completely melted, a little part of him anticipates his return, looks forward to seeing him still bright and optimistic against the dreary weather.

Blaine does not return that winter. Christmas comes and passes. Kurt decides to stay in New York and instead his dad comes up to visit while Rachel spends the holidays with her own dads. It's quiet, different to any christmas Kurt has ever had before, but still pleasant.

Needless to say, Kurt doesn't mention Blaine to his dad. Blaine remains his own little secret that Kurt wonders if he'll ever tell anyone else about. If he never sees him again, he highly doubts that he will tell anyone and it's kind of nice to have a whole person all to himself, even if he might not ever get to see him again.

Then, in a blink of an eye, Christmas is over, Rachel returns, and the year is over. January falls, colder than ever but thankfully dry and, as Kurt's classes resume in the New Year, he is able to keep his mind focused solely on his studies.

He still thinks of Blaine occasionally, when he passes the alley in the mornings or when he accidentally makes two lunches instead of one. It's been almost two months since he last saw him and Kurt can't believe that it's taken him this long to realise that he misses him.

But what can he do?

* * *

It's a bright, fairly warm day in March when Blaine finally returns.

Kurt doesn't realise he's there straight away. He's walking home with Rachel when he sees an oddly familiar figure in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he spots him leaning against the wall, rubbing his hands together - the air is still a little chilly - and all Kurt can do is pause for a moment. Rachel walks a few steps ahead before she notices Kurt has stopped and her gaze follows what he's staring at.

"Kurt?" she says but he doesn't hear her. A smile spreads across his face as the boy in the alley looks up and Kurt can confirm that yes, it is him.

"Blaine?"

"Hi," he greets while all Rachel can do is stare at the two confused.

"Kurt? Do you know him?" she asks and Kurt finally remembers that she's still there.

"It's a long story," he says, eyes darting back and forth between the two. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

Then he turns back to Blaine and "Where have you been?!" he demands, cringing a little at how accusatory his voice sounds, like an overbearing parent whose kid was out past curfew.

Blaine shrugs.

"I went south for the winter," he says with a smile that is actually kind of adorable. "well, north actually."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"The snow came so suddenly, I didn't have a choice," Blaine defends, the smile falling from his face, leaving Kurt feeling guilty for being the one who wiped it away.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be…I guess I was just worried."

"A-about me?" Blaine asks uncertainly and Kurt nods. "I was fine, Kurt. I stayed at a shelter in Harlem most nights."

"I missed you," Kurt admits. Blaine's eyes widen as he stutters for something to say but comes up with nothing. "Why don't you come inside?" Kurt offers, feeling Rachel's disapproving glare on the back of his neck.

"Oh, n-no I couldn't, I just came back to thank you for everything…everything you've done for me. I-I'm not expecting you to…" Blaine stutters, eyes wide with a panic that Kurt doesn't understand.

"Hey, hey, calm down, it's okay. I was just offering."

"I couldn't."

"Please?" For a moment, Kurt is sure that Blaine is about to give in and accept the offer but instead, he shakes his head. He can't very well force Blaine inside and he knows he still owes Rachel an explanation. There's nothing Kurt can do except feel the relief that Blaine is okay.

He eventually tears himself away at Rachel's insistence that she was cold and reluctantly said farewell to the once stranger to follow her inside.

"I'm going to hold my tongue until you've told me what's going on. Just know that from what I saw, it looked a hell of a lot like you invited a homeless person to stay with us," Rachel says with a calmness that is certainly out of character for her.

He tells Rachel everything. From finding the boy all alone on the street, to dropping off his spare change every night right up until the day that it had snowed and Kurt had ran outside frantically searching for him.

"So you  _were_  just going to invite a homeless person to stay with us?" Rachel says, her voice a little more accusatory now but she still doesn't seem quite as angry as Kurt had anticipated.

"I don't know what else I can do for him, Rachel."

"Kurt, there isn't anything else you can do, he's homeless but that's not your fault. You don't owe him anything. You've done everything you can and it seems to me that he's grateful enough for that. You can't just invite strangers into our home, okay? Especially not without asking me first."

Kurt knows she's right, but he still can't help but feel like there's more he should be doing.

* * *

As though the winter never happened at all, Kurt begins seeing Blaine every morning as he had before. The same smile greets him every morning as he leaves the loft and once again every afternoon as he returns home. Blaine seems content enough, as though having nowhere to live is just a small detail that he puts up with. He seems satisfied with his lot and that is probably what's most confusing to Kurt. He doesn't seem to try to move forward, but he supposes there is no such thing as 'forward' when in a position such as Blaine's. Kurt brings him food again, only this time Rachel knows about it and he doesn't have to be so secretive about the portions he gives away. They're still trying to save up some money each week but Rachel understands if some weeks Kurt has a little less than usual after buying Blaine a cup of coffee on a particularly bitter morning. She even begins helping out a little too, preparing Blaine's lunch when Kurt is running late or offering to buy an extra loaf of bread when they run out early.

Then Santana shows up and declares herself as their third roommate. Kurt will admit, there are some perks to her moving in. The rent is now split three ways, meaning he has a little extra pocket money each week, and doesn't have to live with the constant worry of how he's going to get by. He starts treating Blaine occasionally, bringing him cakes from the bakery from time to time, loving the surprised look on his face each and every time he does so. Santana even reluctantly agrees to put a little money in the jar each week which is only fair since she's the only one out of the three of them who actually has a job, though this doesn't stop her from complaining about it.

"Is that the disgusting vegan ham that Rachel buys?" Santana sneers, walking into the kitchen to discover Kurt making sandwiches, they'd ran out of ordinary ham so Kurt had to make do. "Whatever, I don't care, I'm starving," she says, reaching over to grab a few from the stack he'd set aside for Blaine.

"Santana!" he yells, as she takes a bite from one, scowling at the taste.

"What?" she says, swallowing down the first bite before taking another and continuing with her mouth full. "You're telling me all five of these are for you?"

"Of course not! They're for Blaine," he says without even thinking to which Santana raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"Who's Bl-"

"No one," Kurt snaps as he begins to butter more bread.

"Look at you, all domesticated, making sandwiches for your man. Can't say I'm surprised," she scoffs before taking another.

"He isn't my boyfriend," Kurt says petulantly.

"Then who  _is_  he, and why are you making him lunch?" Kurt doesn't know which fact surprises him more, the fact that Santana thinks Blaine is his boyfriend or the fact that she actually seems to care. He sighs before deciding it can't hurt for her to know the truth.

"He's the homeless guy who lives outside."

"Very funny, seriously though."

"I am being serious. I make him lunch every day, he appreciates it," Kurt tells her, smiling a little at the thought of Blaine's adorably happy face whenever Kurt brings him food, as though every time he does so is the first time.

"And is there a reason you're feeding the homeless now or have you just full on slipped into Disney Princess mode?"

"Mock me all you want, I wouldn't expect you to know a good deed if it hit you in the boobs." With that, he wraps up the remaining sandwiches and heads downstairs.

Kurt doesn't think much of the confession to Santana for the rest of the day. He drops off Blaine's lunch, stays to chat for a short while before heading off to class, the feeling of doing a good deed still swirling ecstatically within him. It's not until he's headed home and finds Blaine's usual spot to be empty that he realises he may have potentially made a terrible mistake.

"What did you do?" He accuses the moment he walks through the door. Santana is lounging - as she usually does - on the sofa watching some kind of Spanish reality show, and barely raises her head in inclination towards Kurt.

"Pretty much this all day," she admits followed by a mouthful of popcorn.

"What did you say to Blaine?"

"Who?"

"The guy I told you about this morning!" Kurt exclaims growing more and more frustrated with every second.

"You mean the one that's not your boyfriend? Homeless Jim?" Kurt sighs, nodding with a pronounced roll of his eyes despite the fact that Santana isn't even looking at him. "Why would I say anything to him?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you're evil and he's suddenly vanished."

"Hey, just because you lost your pet hobo doesn't mean you can take it out on me," Santana defends, looking legitimately offended. "I swear I haven't left the loft all day."

The good thing about having a friend as heartless as Santana is that she usually admits to her exceptionally cruel acts without a single bat of her eyelashes. It's because of this that Kurt knows she's telling the truth.

"So where did he go now?" he mumbles to himself, peaking out of the window in the hopes that he might spot him but with no such luck.

This time, Blaine stays missing for just two weeks, returning on a Wednesday afternoon as Kurt is making his way home. Kurt has by now realised that he has no claim to Blaine, he has no say in what he does and where he goes. Kurt doesn't ask where he had been this time, feeling a distance between them that he hasn't felt before, a feeling as though he's looking at Blaine through a screen rather than right in front of him. Nonetheless, Blaine is happy to bring the subject up all by himself.

"Sometimes I just like to go for walks," he admits once Kurt greets him and welcomes him back with a polite nod. "New York was…is the city of my dreams and I hardly ever get to actually see it. Plus it's always nice to stretch my legs for a while."

"That was one long walk," Kurt jokes and Blaine looks down as though he may actually be blushing but the beard prevents Kurt from being able to tell.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Blaine says a little sheepishly.

"You don't need my permission," Kurt answers, "I just need to know that you'll come back." Blaine smiles at that.

"Always. I promise."

* * *

Things finally become easier when Santana manages to get Kurt and Rachel a job at the spotlight diner. The uniforms may be tacky but it pays well and the tips are great and that's all that Kurt is worried about. The extra cash means a lot more room for luxury when it comes to their humble home at the loft. They manage to decorate somewhat, the floor is still bare but the walls aren't quite so bleak and Kurt may have gone a little overboard with his flea market bargains. He has to admit though, the place looks great, far better than the dreary old warehouse it was when he and Rachel first moved in. The place finally looks like a real home, the home he had been dreaming of ever since he was a little boy when he first imagined his own place in the big city.

Despite splashing out on certain luxuries for himself, Kurt, of course, does not forget about Blaine. The extra money in his pocket at the end of each day is split between his savings and Blaine. Though all the extra gifts Kurt is now able to afford and the extra money he is able to drop beside Blaine every evening does not go unnoticed.

"Kurt, please. This is too much, I can't accept this," Blaine says with a miserable look on his face as he tries to hand back the thermos full of fresh coffee and the fifty dollar bill. Kurt had had an incredible week at the diner, earning more in tips than his actual wages and he had been excited to share his earnings with his unlikely new friend.

Kurt's face falls as he refuses the money, he's about to insist before Blaine is talking again.

"I'm serious, Kurt. You can't…you can't keep doing this. You have your own bills to pay and everything, I can't keep taking your money for no reason."

"No reason? Of course you have a good reason, you need it."

"I…I appreciate everything you've done for me, I swear," Blaine promises, "but honestly, I feel terrible. I don't deserve the kindness you've given me, especially when there's nothing I can do for you in return. Please Kurt, please just keep it it's yours."

"Blaine…" Kurt's voice breaks. He has no idea what to say, all he knows is that he wouldn't feel right keeping this money, not when he has everything he needs, not when Blaine is outside suffering. "When's your birthday?" He asks, quickly coming up with a thought. Blaine frowns.

"April 9th, why?"

It was now May.

"Happy Belated Birthday!" he says with a cheerful grin as he tries again to push the money into Blaine's hands.

"Kurt…"

"I'm serious. I want you to have it. I don't need it. All I want is to know that you're safe." Blaine studies him for several moments, the frown creasing his brows and making him look older than he really is. "Please." Slowly and with great care, Blaine clasps his fingers around the note, holding it out in front of him as though he were studying a text in a foreign language.

"Thank you," he says in a small voice that breaks Kurt's heart.

It has occurred to Kurt that Blaine accepting his help and being so entirely dependent on him may be damaging to the other boy's pride, that he may feel so terribly small when being offered such acts of charity but Kurt doesn't have room to care. He's passed the point of doing this simply because he feels bad or out of the goodness of his heart. He truly considers Blaine a friend and what kind of friend would let Blaine live outside?

He's offered countless times, Santana and Rachel weren't happy about it but they didn't tell him he couldn't. He's offered Blaine a warm bed to sleep in and a roof over his head but Blaine refuses each time, sporting a polite smile and shaking his head firmly.

It becomes easier as the months grow warmer. Blaine no longer sits there shivering, leaving Kurt feeling wretched in his thick, fur lined coat. He no longer get drenched by the rain, curly hair matted to his face to the point where he looks like a stray pup. As the season grows hotter, it's clear to Kurt that living outside isn't nearly as unpleasant as the winter, though perhaps the smell is. He can't blame Blaine, but he does wish he'd take up his offer for nothing else than for the shower.

Once class finishes for the summer, Kurt is readying to return home and spend some time with his dad. He's told Blaine of his leaving, made sure that he has plenty of money to last him the two months that Kurt will be gone and kindly begged Santana to make sure he doesn't want for much in his absence to which she reluctantly agrees. The only thing Kurt isn't prepared for is how much he is going to miss Blaine. It's just nice having his constant optimism greet him every morning. It's nice knowing that even when everything falls apart, even when nothing goes his way, that people like Blaine exist and are still smiling in the face of hardship. They still get by.

Once packed, Kurt skips down the murky steps of his building to say one last final goodbye to Blaine. He can't help himself as he throws his arms around Blaine, hoping to anything that might hear him that he'll still be there once Kurt returns. The embrace is followed by shy glances and awkward smiles but as Kurt waves his final goodbye, he can't help but wonder what the strange feeling in the pit of stomach could be.

The summer goes by in a blur of stifling heat waves and shopping trips with his old friends. Kurt doesn't buy much, determined to be wiser with his money but even as he wanders around the mall with Mercedes on his arm, he can't help but spot things that Blaine would like. It's like he's become obsessed, like a doting parent or a clingy boyfriend…

He stops as soon as his mind wanders to that thought, shaking it away entirely because of its ludicrousness.

Kurt doesn't mention his new found friendship with his family, knowing they wouldn't understand and that it would take far too much explaining. He instead tries for a relaxing summer without worrying about his job or numerous assignments that are due. It works for all of two weeks until he finds himself itching to go back, just to make sure that Blaine is okay. It's ridiculous, he knows, but he almost feels as though he's abandoned him by returning home. He begins calling Santana just to double check that everything is okay but is only met with obnoxious expletives and her telling him to get a hobby. Kurt supposes she has a point

For Kurt, fall can't come fast enough and by the time he's packing his bags to return back to New York, back  _home_ , Kurt is practically ecstatic to leave. It's not that he hates being with his family, it's just that Lima is not where he belongs and it never has been. New York is where he longs to be, even if his apartment has creaky floorboards and cracks in the walls and the furniture is mismatched. New York will always welcome him back.

Blaine isn't in his spot when Kurt returns but he tries not to let it worry him too much. Kurt didn't give him a date for his return and he knows it's likely hard for Blaine to keep constant track of what date it is and even if he did know the exact moment when Kurt was to return, he doesn't exactly expect a welcome back parade from the other boy. Still, he's anxious just to see him again, to be certain with his own eyes that he's still keeping strong.

It takes Kurt a few days to get settled, unpacking his clothes carefully and falling back into his old routine, preparing for classes to start. It's not until four days later when Kurt catches a glimpse of Blaine again. He's in a hurry to catch the bus to the diner, and doesn't have a chance to stop and greet him but the mere sight of him at least puts Kurt's mind at ease.

Much to Kurt's pleasure, Blaine is still there when he returns home. It's the early hours of the morning and Kurt is seriously questioning his sanity for agreeing to work the night shift when he stumbles past a very much wide awake Blaine.

Kurt supposes he's going to be tired whether he goes to bed now or in an hour.

"Hi!" he greets taking a seat on the ground beside Blaine. The boy smiles.

"Welcome back," Blaine says. They chat for a while, Kurt forgetting about his tiredness as they catch up and Kurt is overjoyed to find out that Blaine has a job. "It's nothing much," Blaine informs him, "Just handing out pamphlets by the subway. It doesn't pay enough for me to get off the streets but it stops me from going hungry at least," Kurt smiles, knowing he would never let that happen whether or not Blaine had a job. "And hey, maybe once I've saved up a little I can start paying you back for-"

"No," Kurt cuts in before Blaine can finish. "Please, no."

Blaine sighs, knowing they'd get nowhere by arguing over it and instead just enjoying the company for a short while longer until Kurt decides he really does need to catch up on his sleep.

Busy with his new job, Kurt sees even less of Blaine than before. He comes and goes for weeks at a time and Kurt isn't quite sure how he's supposed to feel about it. Of course he's over the moon that Blaine is making money and finally getting back some of his independence - Kurt rarely has to bring him food any more - but he misses his constant presence. He supposes now that Blaine is starting to get back on his feet, he should just move on as well. Kurt has no need to feel guilty any more, though his reasons for helping Blaine have long since developed since the first week he started dropping off his spare change.

When Blaine does occasionally return, Kurt always makes sure to welcome him with a thermos of soup or perhaps a coffee which Blaine will without fail accept with a heart melting smile. It's the little things that Kurt does, rather than the big gestures, that seem to make Blaine smile the most and that's what Kurt finds himself striving for at the beginning of every day.


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt gets his first audition in February, the role of Ferdinand in a small production of The Tempest in a theatre that barely holds a hundred guests but it's his first real audition for a real show and Kurt's heart pounds in his chest the entire time. The process is exhausting, He waits by the phone constantly, telling himself over and over that no news is good news as he awaits a call. It's not even as though Kurt is a particularly big fan of Shakespeare but he would do anything just to break into the business and if that means reciting lines that barely even make sense any more then so be it.

It's a chilly morning in March when he finally finds out he got the part. From there, Kurt's life becomes a rollercoaster ride. Rehearsals are stressful, classes at NYADA only seem to get more and more difficult and Kurt takes on enough shifts at the diner to leave him feeling drained and ready to sleep for a year or so. Despite everything, however, Kurt feels as though his dreams are finally starting to come true. Bouncing between all of his commitments, Kurt barely has a chance for his feet to touch the ground but of course he doesn't forget about Blaine, Kurt always has time for Blaine, though they see each other less and less frequently as the year goes by. Kurt still makes sure he's never hungry and when he occasionally has time to spare he stops for a chat, Blaine never fails to make Kurt's day.

"Kurt! Hey!" A voice that Kurt instantly recognises as Blaine's calls out to him as he's leaving the loft for his very first performance. Kurt hates the days when he has to tell Blaine he can't stay to chat, that he's in a hurry but he really can't be late, not tonight, not for the first night of his first show. His family and friends are all waiting for him at the theatre and Kurt had been hoping to at least greet them before the show.

Turning on his heel, however, Kurt is shocked to find Blaine standing before him, bright smile lighting up his entire face as he hands a stunning bouquet of red and yellow roses to him. Kurt stands mouth hanging open as he takes the flowers, unable to find any words.

"I wanted to tell you to break a leg tonight. And that I'm really proud of you."

"B-Blaine where did you…How did you afford these?" Kurt cringes as soon as he asks, not wanting to sound ungrateful but he knows that flowers aren't exactly cheap, roses especially.

"I started saving when you told me you got the part," Blaine explains, looking shyly towards the ground in a way that Kurt would find adorable if he wasn't feeling so awful that Blaine went to so much trouble. "And don't tell me I shouldn't have, because I wanted to."

"But…but Blaine you-" All Kurt can think about are all the times Blaine probably skipped meals so he'd have a few extra dollars to pay for the flowers. All he can think about is how Blaine had to go without again.

"Kurt," Blaine says, hand twitching forward before he stops it dead and instead lets it hang limply at his side. "Look, being poor for me isn't about not having a place to live or not having three square meals a day. It means I can't show the people I care about just how much I value them. It means I can't tell people how I feel because I'm just this…this eyesore that most people would rather ignore. So, please, take the flowers, and don't feel guilty. You've helped me so much, it's about time I started showing you how much your help means to me."

Kurt is speechless. It had somehow never dawned on him the fact that being homeless is so much more than being without a home.

"Thank you," he eventually says after a moment too long of silence, lifting the flowers so he can smell them. "But I really…"

"Go," Blaine says, smiling again in that way that makes Kurt's heart ache but for why he doesn't know. "I wouldn't want you to be late on my behalf."

* * *

Kurt's first show is a huge success. He likes to think the astonishing good mood that Blaine had put him in is partially responsible though he'd never admit that to Rachel who had spent countless hours running lines with him.

His meetings with Blaine are scarce over the next couple of weeks much to his disappointment. The flowers Blaine had bought him sit in the window in a spot that Kurt knows Blaine should be able to see from the street but as the weeks go by they slowly begin to wilt, the once vibrant petals turning brittle and falling from the stems. Santana eventually convinces him to chuck them out and he feels a pang of sadness that Blaine had spent all that time saving up to buy them only for Kurt to throw them away once they're dead and ugly. He keeps one though, plucks it from the rest before it has the chance to turn brown and preserves it in a heavy recipe book that he rarely uses.

In the blink of an eye, the spring is over and summer once again shines over the towering buildings of the city. It's strange to Kurt to think that already two years have passed since his moving to New York. That his life has changed so drastically from the days in Lima spent getting shoved into lockers and thrown into dumpsters.

It comes to the point where Kurt dreads returning home and, after much deliberation, decides to spend just three weeks at home for the summer before he's already planning his return. He's fallen completely head over heels in love with the place and can't bear to be away from it for a moment longer. He loves his dad but now that he's had a taste of the freedom that comes with living in the city, as well as the intoxicating thrill of his first ever role on stage, Kurt longs to go back the moment his plane touches down in Ohio.

Without classes and with The Tempest having wrapped up its final show a month prior, Kurt expects to have a lot more time on his hands after his brief visit home. But he is proven astoundingly wrong when he gets a call out of the blue on his way home from work. An agent who had seen his performance as Ferdinand and wants to represent him, already even has a few auditions he could be interested in. Kurt is sure his heart stops beating for the duration of the phone call.

That's when the rollercoaster really gets intense except he's on a ride that can only seem to go up.

Suddenly he's bombarded with auditions. He hears the word  _No_  a disheartening amount of times but gets a lot more small time shows in both minor and major roles. When classes begin for his final year of college, Kurt is barely even able to keep his head above water with his timetable constantly filling up with auditions and rehearsals as well as his commitments to NYADA. His timetable is so full that he has no other choice but to quit his job at the diner. But not for one moment does Kurt even consider complaining about the workload. This is his dream and more than once does he pinch himself just to double check that this is actually happening to him.

The day he finally gets his first Broadway audition, Kurt is ecstatic. In the back of his mind, he of course knows it's never going to happen but, for Kurt, even the idea of getting so far as an audition would have seemed ludicrous to him two years ago. Still, he stand on stage and sings his heart out, and, before he knows it, the role of Fiyero in Wicked is his.

It takes several days for him to actually process this information. When he first gets the call, he thanks the director, hangs up and calmly tells Rachel the news, who then promptly screams in his ear so loud he hears a ringing for the rest of the afternoon. The next day, Kurt wakes up and tells Rachel about the crazy dream he had where he had actually got the role and then has to sit through the process of realisation all over again. He did it, the role is his, he's going to be on Broadway. He should probably buy a new outfit to celebrate…

Kurt's third year in the city is a non-stop commotion of rehearsals and costume fittings and running lines over and over with Rachel and belting out  _As Long As You're Mine_ together until every single one of his lines and lyrics are stained into his consciousness.

It's not until opening night, with the loft crowded with flowers and bouquets from all of his family and friends does Kurt realise that he hasn't seen Blaine for the last four months. The thought plays on his mind the entire way to the theatre for his first show. He can't even remember whether he had ever told Blaine about the role at all and the thought sends a plummeting feeling in his stomach, unsettling him for the rest of the evening.

Thankfully, the show goes swimmingly, Kurt manages to keep his mind focused for long enough to feel the rush of adrenaline from the moment the curtains opened right up until the final bow but once he makes it back to his dressing room, he finds himself backtracking through the last few months, trying to figure out when was the last time he had seen Blaine. His heart sinks when he realises he can't remember. How could he have forgotten him so easily? How could he have abandoned him the moment a little bit of stardom was teased in front of him. Kurt feels disgusted with himself and he knows that there isn't a thing he can do to make it right. He has no way of contacting Blaine, no way of finding him unless he's in his old spot outside the loft. He doesn't even know the boy's surname. The future of their friendship or whatever their bizarre relationship can be called depends entirely on Blaine's willingness to find Kurt, not the other way around and Kurt feels utterly hopeless at the realisation.

Once he arrives back home after a particularly wild after party following his opening night, Kurt looks to Blaine's spot, hoping that by some miracle he'll be waiting there for him but despite all of his wishful thinking, the alley is empty.

The only thing that keeps Kurt sane over the next couple of weeks is Blaine's promise, the one he made almost two years ago to always come back. Blaine had promised him that and Kurt suspects that he's the type of guy to always keep the promises he makes so, every day, Kurt makes sure to check for Blaine's return yet everyday he comes back disappointed. He throws himself into his work once more, but this time uses it merely as a distraction. He had been so busy he hadn't even noticed Blaine's disappearance before so perhaps if he remains as such, he'll forget about the gaping hole in his chest every time he lets his mind wander to less cheerful subjects. What if Blaine's hurt, or worse? What if something happened?

Once it gets to the six month mark since Kurt last saw his friend, he begins to lose hope. He's never been gone for such a long time before. He convinces himself that Blaine must be upset with him for forgetting about him in his budding career. The thought hurts but it's far better than any alternative involving Blaine lying cold and motionless at the back of some dark alley elsewhere in the city.

He tries to carry on as normal and does so somewhat successfully. He goes to class and he performs in the show and he signs autographs outside the stage door, something that he's still getting used to, but every time his mind wanders back to the curly haired homeless boy he feels the sting of his disappearance all over again.

"You have got to get over this, Kurt, It's not healthy," Rachel tells him, clearing away the empty plates that have been gathering on the coffee table. "He was never going to stay forever, you know that. You can't expect him to live outside on the streets his whole life."

"He promised he'd come back," Kurt says with a shrug.

"Maybe he got a real job. Maybe he has his own place now and has moved on…"

"He promised he'd come back," Kurt says again, with just a little more venom but not enough to offend. Rachel sighs, sitting beside him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I miss him too. But, Kurt, your dreams are coming true. You can't let this compromise your happiness, please. He wouldn't want that no matter where he is or what he's doing." Kurt agrees with her for no other reason than to get her to leave the subject alone. If he can act on stage then he can pretend this doesn't bother him at least. So that's what he does and that's how he gets by until a rainy day in mid-April when he spots an all too familiar shadow leaning against the wall to his building, huddled over in an attempt to shield himself from the rain. Kurt barely has a second to think before he hurries over, standing beside the figure and holding the umbrella over him. The moment the rain ceases soaking him, he looks up, confirming Kurt's suspicions that it really is Blaine.

"You came back," is the first thing Kurt says, feeling his throat closing up with emotion. Blaine barely even has the chance to utter a single syllable before Kurt flings his arms around him, not caring about the rain as his umbrella sways in the wind and the motion of everything. "I never thought I'd miss you this much. I…I'm really glad you came back."

Blaine smiles and it's the exact same smile that Kurt has been missing all these months. Seeing it again somehow feels like coming home.

"Why? You were gone for so long, I was worried something might have happened…"

"I…" Blaine stops, thinking carefully before saying his next words, yet Kurt gets the impression it's something that he's been practising in his head over and over again before this moment. "I see your face all over the city, you know? You're on park benches and on the side of buses. You're a star, Kurt. And I don't want to be the one who hinders your reputation. I mean what would the media think?"

It's hard to see just how much his life has changed, really. He's gotten used to seeing his name in lights and his face on posters as he immerses himself in his role. It's never really like seeing his own image but more like the character instead. He still lives in the same run down loft, with the same creaky floorboards but he supposes Blaine is right. His life is different now and no longer exclusively his own.

"Blaine. I don't care what the media think of me. I'm doing what I love and I want to share it with people I care about."

"You really care about me?"

"Of course I do!" Kurt asserts. Blaine is left speechless for a moment, enjoying a quiet grin all to himself as he tries to hide his overwhelming joy but Kurt is sure he'll never be able to hide anything from him.

"Wow. So anyway I should…I should probably go." Kurt has known Blaine long enough to know that there's no way he can make him stay, even for just one night.

"Okay just…don't ever do that to me again, okay? I was worried out of my mind."

"I promise," Blaine says with a nod, turning until Kurt calls out his name one last time. Blaine looks back expectantly as Kurt suddenly remembers something he had told him two years ago.

"Happy Birthday."

* * *

The second momentous occasion occurs in October later that year. Having performed on a Broadway stage for almost a year, Kurt has become quite the personality in the Broadway world. Suddenly he's doing interviews and hosting award shows and everything just seems to be going his way. He and Rachel had both graduated in the summer, leaving him with a little extra time to actually enjoy his career and all the benefits it comes with. Rachel had moved out with Santana following her lead not long after, saying it was time they needed their own places and started forging their own paths.

Kurt, however, has grown attached his New York loft despite the fact that they never did get around to getting that new boiler fitted nor installing double glazed windows like Kurt had always wanted. The rustic feel of the place is what gives it its charm. That and the obvious reason as to why he's reluctant to leave, Kurt doesn't know how he's ever supposed to move away from the place when it means moving away from Blaine. Against his better judgement, he ends up buying the place for no other reason than to give him an excuse to stay put for a while longer.

That's why it feels so unfair when he gets the call a few days after everything is finalised.

A movie.

An actual movie.

As in Hollywood and red carpet premieres and a budget of potentially millions.

Kurt has to take a moment to sit down and breathe. Of course he accepts, he'd be crazy not to, it's just he'd never seen himself as a Hollywood actor. Broadway had been his dream since he could remember but now that he's achieved that dream, the world is full of possibilities for him.

Everything is set in motion from the moment he agrees to do it. He's flown to LA to meet with director and read lines, make sure he's definitely right for the role.

LA is like a whole new planet to Kurt. Everything is staggeringly different from the weather to the people to the views. He's almost convinced that none of it is real at all, that he's still just a hopeful 18 year old in New York City for the first time. But this really is his life, this is really happening to him.

Despite being entranced by the change in scenery, Kurt still misses New York and is glad when he returns home in the knowledge that he has two months until filming starts. He finds Blaine immediately, tells him everything as they sit together in the chilly autumn air.

"So when do you leave?" Blaine asks, voice still cheerful but with an undercurrent of loss. Kurt's heart stops. He's known that doing this movie will have to mean moving to LA for four months at least for filming and then there will be interviews and premieres and screenings that he'll be expected to attend, and after that, who knows? What if he falls in love with cinema? What if he gets dozens more opportunities out there? This move might be a permanent one. All the things that had seemed so glamorous are now the things that are forcing Kurt away from his home.

"Two months," Kurt says, wishing that it didn't have to hurt as much as it does. He knows he'll need to move out eventually, but saying goodbye to the loft where all of his dreams had come true is something that Kurt isn't sure if he's ready to do.

"Can you do me one thing?" Blaine asks, eyes wide and bright despite the turn of the conversation.

"Of course."

"Promise not to forget about me when you're a big shot movie star, okay?"

Kurt giggles, the thought alone ridiculous to him. He barely feels like he can tie his shoes properly most days, now all of a sudden he's a movie star. Life is strange.

"I could never," he assures Blaine.

Packing is a lot harder than it should be. In the end he decides that maybe it would be the best if he just left the place as it is for the most part. It might at least make it easier to sell, something which so far has proven impossible. He boxes up everything he knows he'll need and everything he wants to keep but leaves most of the furniture. He wants his last look at the place to be as it was when he had lived there, filled with happy memories.

The place he has in LA is ready for him to move into and all that's left for him to do is sell the loft and catch his plane, something which fills Kurt with unease the closer he gets to the date, especially with no buyers for the loft. He'd really rather not leave the place abandoned, Kurt can't stomach the idea of returning one day to find it robbed and vandalized but he can't exactly stay until it's sold, he has a schedule to keep to.

As the date for his flight approaches, Kurt begins to realize that he's going to have no other choice but to just leave it until, the day before he's set to fly out, he finally comes up with a solution. A solution so perfect he wants to hit himself for not thinking of it sooner.

Outside, Blaine is where Kurt usually finds him, leaning against the wall. It was now December and the weather had turned bitterly cold. Blaine would usually have left by now for the winter, finding shelters to keep him from freezing to death but, for Kurt's sake, he had insisted on staying, knowing that he may not see Kurt again for a long time, if ever. Kurt had made sure he had blankets and plenty of warm dinners despite the boy's refusal to come up with him.

"Blaine!" Kurt calls cheerfully, hoping that this time, Blaine won't be so stubborn. "I have a favour to ask you."

"What is it?" Blaine asks curiously, standing as he does so and wincing from the stiffness in his legs. Kurt holds out the spare key, heart beating frantically in his chest at the thought of Blaine refusing yet again.

"I need someone to look after the place after I'm gone." Blaine's curious smile instantly fades, replaced with a grim expression that Kurt feels like he'll never understand.

"W-what are you saying?" Blaine asks slowly, eyes fixated on the key in Kurt's hand.

"It's yours if you'll take it, and I really wish you would."

"I couldn't-"

"Please. I'm serious Blaine please take it," Kurt insists.

"But it's your home, I can't just…live in it," Blaine says with a stuttered breath that fogs from his mouth.

"Blaine, as much as I hate to say this, when I move, It's not going to be my home anymore."

Taking Blaine's hand, he presses the key into his palm despite his protest. "I can't force you to accept but you have the key and no one is going to be there. It would be an awful waste if you didn't."

"Kurt-"

"I'll keep paying all the bills for it, It's not too much, I can afford it easily so please don't be concerned about that. Most of the furniture is still there and there's still plenty of food in the kitchen that I didn't get around to eating before now. The heating is kind of temperamental but if you kick it in the right spot then you should be good. Oh, and don't sleep next to a window, the cold seeps in and you'll wake up frozen." Kurt feels silly for warning such a thing, after the countless nights that Blaine has spent on the streets but from now on, all he wants is for things to be better for him. All Blaine has to do is accept Kurt's help, something he is always reluctant to do.

"Kurt, I…" Blaine whimpers, his voice coming out in a broken sob and for the first time since they'd met, Kurt finds that he isn't smiling for once. "I don't know what to say. Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. You know you could have always stayed before though, right? You were always welcome."

"I know" Blaine says with a nod, "but I could never, not without…" he hesitates for a moment before looking Kurt directly in the eye, "I will repay you somehow Kurt, I promise." Kurt wants to tell him that there's no need, that he honestly just wants the best for Blaine but he feels that if he did, then Blaine would be more inclined to refuse. If Blaine moves in with the intention of paying Kurt back then perhaps it could save a little of his pride.

"You can come up now if you want and get out of the cold? I can show you around? Make us some coffee?" Kurt is sure that Blaine will refuse, as he always does, but the offer has always stood. When Blaine finally replies, however, he is very much surprised.

"That…that sounds nice," Blaine replies, staring sheepishly at the floor and scratching at his beard. Overjoyed, Kurt slips his hand into Blaine's leading him for the first time upstairs. Suddenly, he can't help but feel self-conscious about his place, It's really not the picture of glamour, but Kurt knows he's being ridiculous considering that Blaine has lived on the streets for the last four years at least.

"It's kind of a mess," Kurt says, releasing Blaine's hand and opening the door with his own key. "Packing and everything," he justifies.

Blaine is silent as he looks around, keeping to himself and his bags clutched tightly in his arms, as though not wanting to touch anything.

Kurt takes his bag and coat, hangs them up in the closet before giving him a short tour. From the look on Blaine's face, it might as well be a palace.

"This is the bathroom, it's kind of small," Kurt says, "and the kitchen is just over here. Canned good are on the shelf, and there's still plenty left in the fridge." Blaine looks to be in a trance at the sight of everything, at the knowledge that he can actually live here, that his days on the streets are over. "So! How about that coffee?"

Things are awkward to say the least. Blaine says very little, answering any questions that Kurt asks in the hopes of starting a conversation but offering nothing else, just sipping from his cup and keeping his eyes trained on the rug.

"I should finish packing," Kurt says, deciding that perhaps Blaine would feel more at ease if Kurt wasn't hovering over him. He doesn't have much left to do, just the few things he'd strewn about that need putting away into his case.

"You can take Rachel's old bed if you want," Kurt tells him, handing over a set of clothes he was otherwise going to leave behind for Blaine to change into. He accepts them gratefully but without a word. "I'm gonna try and get some sleep, early flight in the morning, you know?" Blaine nods, smiling in Kurt's direction as Kurt makes his way to his bedroom, sliding the curtain across so he can get changed. The tension is heavy and awkward, itching at Kurt's skin. They've never been this distant and Kurt hopes that one day maybe Blaine can feel comfortable, maybe call this place his home, but it's evident from tonight that that will take a while.

Kurt eventually falls into a deep sleep, dreaming endlessly of LA and everything that he has in store. He's impossibly excited but also filled with a terror that he's never experienced before, not even when he got the role in Wicked and his life really did begin to change. His life doesn't even feel like his own life anymore, yet, when the sun rises, he's expected to get on that plane and fly across the country to star in a real, big budget movie. Despite this, the fact that Blaine is currently in his home, finally out of the cold, takes centre stage for things that are ground-breaking in Kurt's life currently.

When he awakes, tired and groggy, the dawn barely breaking, Kurt jolts in surprise at the sight of Blaine on his sofa, having momentarily forgotten the events of the previous night.

"You're awake?" he says questioningly, approaching the sofa and taking a seat on the far end as Blaine looks up at him, smiling once again. "Do you ever sleep? I don't think I've ever seen you…?"

Blaine's response is a short laugh, to which Kurt finds incredibly infectious.

"How long before you have to leave?" Blaine asks with a touch of reluctance in his voice. Kurt checks his watch.

"About a half hour. Shoot, I didn't mean to sleep this late. I was going to make us breakfast…"

"Don't worry about it," Blaine says dismissively, "you should get ready." So Kurt does, the minutes ticking away before he embarks on a journey that will change his life forever. He knows that the next time he steps foot in the city things will never be the same and the thought alone fills him with dread, enough to make him want to not go all together. But with Blaine's smiling face encouraging him as it never fails to do, Kurt manages to force himself into the shower and gather all of his bags, ready for the journey of a lifetime.

"So…" he says dropping his bags by the door and turning to face Blaine, "I guess I'll see you later? Maybe?" Blaine's face seems to light up.

"I…yeah, absolutely if you want to. I'll be here I guess," he replies and then things are once again awkward.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

"So I guess I'll just…" Before he finishes, Kurt flings his arms around Blaine one more time before he can't any more. Blaine seems stunned by the gesture at first before relaxing and gripping Kurt back. "Stay safe, okay?" Kurt can feel him nod against his shoulder and smiles into the other boy's shirt, smelling his own washing detergent there and liking the fact that he can smell it on Blaine, as though it belongs there.

"You too. And good luck!" He says, seeming a little more animated than he had the night before and for most of the morning. "I really am so proud of you."

With that, Kurt grabs his bags, heading out the door one final time.

* * *

As predicted, Kurt's life really does change from that moment on. His place in LA is stunning, much larger than his New York loft despite living there alone and everything is all of a sudden top of the range, as though nothing else will do. He doesn't even buy things for himself any more. His clothes are chosen by the director and sponsors and whoever else are giving him money to wear their label.

Filming the movie itself is the easy part. Kurt goes to the studio, spends a while in makeup then says his lines the same as he would if he were on stage. The only difference is that instead of an audience, there are cameras and crew members. Instead of endless rehearsals, there are endless takes, reciting the same 5 minutes of dialogue over and over so the director can get his perfect shot. It can be tedious and Kurt does miss the stage but he wouldn't give up this opportunity for anything.

He calls home every night, checking up on his dad, giving him updates on filming. He's certain his father has never been more proud of him and, for the first time in a long time, he actually misses home. Not just New York, Lima.

They wrap up filming after four months and while everything is still in the editing room Kurt decides to fly back home to Ohio for a month before everything suddenly explodes with the press. It has been far too long since he's been in Lima and Kurt never realised just how much he had missed it. The moment he steps into his old bedroom, Kurt can pretend he's back in high school, his entire life ahead of him still. What is now currently his life was all just a fantasy that he would live out in his dreams every night. He finds his collection of Broadway soundtracks, laughs when he finds the ones he used to sing endlessly and realising he had the chance to sing them on a real stage on Broadway. It feels like a lifetime ago that he was just a normal kid.

The urge to visit the city is strong but Kurt chooses to stay away for just a little while longer. He misses his friends, he hasn't seen much of Rachel and Santana since they moved out except for the occasional dinner together, and of course he thinks of Blaine. But without a home there any more, Kurt feels as though he should take a step back for a while longer.

His dad is more than happy to see him, of course. They catch up, do some father-son bonding and Kurt helps out at the tire shop, just like old times, loving the nostalgia that comes with a good old fashioned oil change.

Kurt wishes he could stay, but he already has two interviews and an appearance on a talk show scheduled and really can't stay a day longer. He reluctantly packs his bags, says goodbye to his old bedroom and gets on the plane once again.

The interviews aren't as scary as he thought they would be. Kurt still doesn't feel as though he's part of the Hollywood world, still just Broadway baby, but he finds himself talking extensively into the microphone whenever a question is asked. He talks about his friends, how they helped him get to where he is today, his family, his amazing luck and how happy he is to be doing what he loves. The answers flow easily because the interviewers know exactly what questions to ask. It's when his love life is brought into question that Kurt hesitates. He's never actually had a real boyfriend, he's had the occasional hook up with cast members, friends, people that maybe he doesn't have much chemistry with but still managed to find himself in bed with. Of course he doesn't mention that, choosing for a vague answer of not finding the right person yet, much to the interviewer's disappointment. In all honesty, Kurt hasn't had time to date these last few years, bombarded with everything that's happened, he's surprised he even managed to keep the friends he did.

Then the movie is finally released. Kurt wants to hide from all the phone calls and offers he suddenly receives, appearances here and cameos there. He was barely ever considered popular in any form, so to have his name be the one on everybody's lips is suddenly the most bizarre thing to ever happen to him.

He wishes he could split himself into five separate Kurt Hummels, because that's what the paparazzi at the premiere seem to think he can do. Everyone calls his name, begs him to pose for them, this angle, that angle, smile, just turn to the left slightly please Mr Hummel? Kurt follows their instructions, just wanting to please them, trying not to blink at the blinding flashes that seem never ending. It really is overwhelming but Kurt takes everything as it comes, one day at a time, slowly adjusting to this new life of his and wondering how on earth he got to be so lucky.

Before he knows it, everything finally seems to calm down. His contract is long over and all other small projects he's been in are finished for now. He has nothing else keeping him in LA. He's enjoyed his stay, made a few friends in the business, acquired a lot of new fans and had plenty of time to enjoy himself but he feels as though New York is calling his name, begging him back. He longs for the stage, and just for a break from everything and it's been over a year since he's seen Rachel and Santana…and Blaine.

He books his flight without even thinking everything through. Willing to just stay in a hotel until he can figure out what's next for him. It's not like money is an issue for him anymore, he's lucky enough to have the luxury of being able to take so much time out to think about what he really wants and Kurt tries to not take it for granted.

With the flight booked, all Kurt has to do is wait for New York to welcome him home.

* * *

Going up those old, dirty stairs again is bizarre to say the least. After being gone for so long, being suddenly back in his old neighbourhood, in the very same building where his life changed is an odd feeling. It feels nice, but Kurt also misses the simplicity that was his life when he lived here.

But he isn't coming back to return to his old life. This apartment, though technically still legally his, is not a place he can call home. It's home to another, a certain someone that has been on Kurt's mind since he left and now that he's back, is anxious to see again.

Standing outside the old, heavy door, Kurt takes a moment to catch up with himself. Smiling gently as he considers once again just how much everything has changed. He's of course excited to see Blaine again, has been counting down the days until he could, hoping that maybe he's finally made it back on his feet. After taking just a few moments to breathe, Kurt raises his hand to knock firmly on the door, waiting a few seconds before he hears the tell-tale signs of the door being unlocked from inside.

Yet, standing there in the doorway is a man, very much attractive, and not at all like the boy Kurt had left behind so many months before.

"Oh…" Kurt says at a loss for words, mind scrambling to catch up with what is before him. "I…I'm so sorry, I must have the wrong address…" he stutters, turning hastily to leave until a voice that he very much does recognise calls out his name

"Come on, I don't look that different do I?" he asks with amusement and Kurt's heart stops for a moment. He turns again and looks at the man, really looks at him and sure enough, there are those yes he remembers so vividly, honey coloured and warm, and that smile, so inviting only now it's not covered in a wild, unkempt beard. His hair is cut short too, styled with gel so that there's barely any trace of the curls that Kurt remembers from before. It's like he's a whole new person.

"Blaine…" he whispers, hands coming to cover his mouth as he really takes the other man in. "I can't believe it. It's really you. You look…you look amazing!"

Blaine looks down, blushing as he takes the compliment.

"All thanks to you," he says softly, "and hey, it's amazing what a razor and a haircut can do for a guy these days." Kurt laughs, loving this new confidence that had never been there in Blaine before. Loving that he can smile without it having to be despite anything, that he can just smile freely and enjoy a light hearted conversation. "Why don't you come in?" Blaine offers, standing to one side and allowing Kurt inside. The place looks almost identical to how he left it. The same tattered sofa and mismatched chairs, the same curtains, the same layout. It's as though he's just stepped back in time. One thing that strikes Kurt, however, is the image of his own face staring at him from the cover if a magazine resting on the side table. He looks at it curiously, picking it up an examining it. He's been on enough magazine covers that he's lost track of where he appears now. He flicks through, noticing that it includes one of his numerous interviews about his lack of a love interest, and blushes slightly at the thought of Blaine reading it.

"Oh, uh, that's-," Blaine stammers a little nervously, noticing what Kurt had picked up. "I'm just in awe of everything you've done. Sometimes it's hard to believe that you're the same guy who was so nice to me all the time."

"Don't go all fanboy on me, please. I just need some normality for a while," Kurt says with an easy smile. He puts the magazine down before following Blaine into the kitchen, taking a seat as Blaine prepares them some coffee. It's funny how their roles have changed now that Kurt is the unexpected guest.

"So what brings you back to New York?" Blaine asks, settling two mugs down on the table and sitting opposite Kurt.

"I've just been missing it. LA is nice but New York is where I belong. And…If I'm being honest, I really wanted to see how you were doing." There's a moment of silence and Blaine smiles into his mug, taking a long sip.

"I'm doing good," he admits. "Really good. I have another job, one that doesn't involve me bothering the general public outside the subway." Kurt laughs.

"That's good."

"It's nothing huge, I'm a waiter, but it's a real fancy place and the tips are pretty good." Kurt thinks back to his days at the spotlight diner, how everything seemed to snowball from there, wondering how on earth he got from relying on tips to where he is now. "I actually applied there a couple years ago but they turned me down. It's funny how after a shave and a bath I'm all of a sudden exactly what they're looking for. I guess they had a point before. I mean who wants to be served by a guy who smells as bad as he looks," he says with a self-deprecating laugh.

"You didn't-"

"Come on, Kurt. Don't even try to deny it, I smelled terrible, I'm surprised you even talked to me at all."

"I didn't care," he says honestly, "I just hated seeing you so hopeless all the time, like that was your lot and you were just satisfied with it." Blaine shrugs.

"I'd been on the streets for a long time, there wasn't really much of a way out for me."

"I offered you a place to stay plenty of times, Blaine. How come you never accepted? I really wish you would have," he tries to keep his voice calm, but he still feels the same frustration when Blaine would deny his help. "Why did you always refuse?"

"Because…I don't know. I couldn't face the idea of just mooching of off you. It was bad enough that you had to feed me."

"So it was a pride thing?" Kurt asks gently, "You didn't want to have to be so dependent on me?"

"I guess. But it's not just that. What if I still couldn't find a job after that? What if I was just there and still stuck and living off you and…I didn't want to take advantage of your kindness, that's all." Kurt sighs, knowing that there's nothing that can be done to change it now. It doesn't matter after all, Blaine is safe now, out from the cold and finally making his own way in life and Kurt couldn't be more proud of him. "Oh, that reminds me," Blaine says, standing to leave the room momentarily, returning shortly with a wad of cash in his hands Kurt's eyes widen at the sight of it. "I've been saving up, and I did promise I'd pay you back for this place," he says. "There's about twelve hundred dollars here, I don't know how much that will actually cover of what I owe you, but I'll get it all back to you sooner or later. And you don't have to keep paying for me from now on, I can cover it myself."

"Blaine, no," Kurt insists, pushing the money back across the table.

"Please, Kurt. I promised I'd pay you back."

"You know I don't need this, and I'm never going to hold it over you." he says, eyeing the money with unease, this could do so much for Blaine and yet here he is just giving it away.

"I don't care. I want you to have it and I won't rest until you take it."

"Is this another pride thing?" Kurt jokes but Blaine's face remains stern.

"If it gets you to take it then yeah." Kurt sighs, taking the money in his hands and feeling terrible about it. He can't do it, he can't have this money.

"How about we compromise?" Kurt says coming up with an idea. "I'll double whatever's here and then we can donate it to charity? Seriously, Blaine, I don't need this money and who knows how many people this can help." Blaine studies the cash for a moment, but it doesn't take long before he's grinning and nodding.

"That sounds like a great idea." he agrees, settling the matter. "But I'm serious about paying the things by myself from now on, okay?"

"Deal," Kurt relents, knowing that it will give Blaine the last bout of independence he needs to truly be self-sufficient.

They chat for a while longer, eventually moving to the couch, catching up as Kurt fills him in on all the Hollywood gossip and Blaine rants about his co-workers. For the first time, it finally feels as though they're on equal terms and Kurt can't get enough of Blaine's conversation. The cold, lonely boy he had known is nowhere to be found as Kurt indulges in this handsome, confident man he's found in his place. Of course he's the same person but he's so much more now, he's reaching his full potential and Kurt has trouble believing that he is the same boy he once knew. Before either of them know it, it has grown dark outside and though Kurt is reluctant to leave, he knows he should if he wants any chance of booking a room for the night.

"I should really go," he eventually says.

"Stay. Please." Blaine begs, hand reaching up to grip Kurt's arm as he rises from the sofa. "I mean, if you want to. I know this place might be a bit of a downgrade but…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kurt tells him with a laugh, "this place will always feel like home to me."

"Then it's settled!" Blaine exclaims with excitement, "I'll make us dinner!"

And he does exactly that. It all feels so domestic, Kurt sits at the kitchen table while Blaine prepares their meal at the very same counter where Kurt used to prepare his sandwiches all those years ago. He nose is assaulted by the array of delicious smells, causing his stomach to growl hungrily.

The wait is certainly worth it because when he finally takes his first bite, he is certain that it's the best thing he's ever tasted.

"Oh my God, Blaine! What did you say this was again?"

"Wild Mushroom Risotto," he says spooning a bite into his mouth and chewing carefully. "I actually really love to cook. I picked up a few tips working at the restaurant but the recipe is from one of those cookbooks you left behind." Suddenly Blaine is standing again, retrieving the recipe book and sliding it across the table to Kurt. "Page 84."

Kurt recognises the cover, it had been a going away present from his dad when he had first left home but he'd never actually used it much. He opens it, flipping to page 84 and, resting delicately on the page, is a small red rose.

"Oh," is all Kurt can say as the memory flies back instantly. The roses Blaine had gotten him for the opening night of his first ever show. He can't help his eyes filling up with tears as he carefully takes the perfectly pressed flower in his hands. "I forgot I left this here."

Kurt looks up from the rose to see Blaine staring right at him, lips twisted up into a serene smile and that's the moment he realises it. That whatever it is he's been feeling for the other boy is certainly not just friendship. He's in love with him and he can't believe it took him so long to realise it. Struck with the sudden revelation, Kurt finds himself unable to speak, silently putting the flower back in its hiding place and returning to his meal. Blaine does the same, the two of them sharing shy glances over the table until Kurt feels ridiculous because the tension is getting to be just a little too much. He knows Blaine is gay from the times when Kurt would sit outside with him and they'd talk. But could he really feel the same way? Is this something that Kurt actually wants to get himself into?

They finish their meal and Blaine collects their bowls, taking them to the sink to wash them. Kurt wordlessly follows to help, heart pounding in his chest as his heart argues with his head. Just as Blaine is scrubbing the last bowl, Kurt slips his hand into his, fingers gently tracing Blaine's, hoping that his feelings can be conveyed. Blaine stops and stares, first at his hand then at Kurt and before Kurt has a moment to think, he's leaning in to press his lips against Blaine's, tasting him for the very first time. He hears Blaine suck in a breath before relaxing a little as Kurt deepens the kiss while they both stand there in the kitchen, lost to their surroundings.

He would say that it was just like in the movies, except Kurt has experienced movie kisses and they usually involve reshooting the same scene over and over again while getting bored and frustrated, this kiss was nothing like that. For Kurt this was more  _do or die_  like on the stage, where everything is in the moment, everything is what it is.

Blaine's lips remain pressed against Kurt's until he takes the lead, hand gripping Kurt's face while Kurt lets his hands fall to Blaine's waist, thumbs digging into his hips.

They part, slightly breathless and Kurt just can't stop staring at those lips. Before he knows it, he's diving in again, pressing peck after peck against Blaine's lips, loving the taste the feel, even the sound of it, everything. Everything is Blaine and Kurt doesn't care about anything else because this boy in his arms has always been there for him and all Kurt wants is to make sure he never has to hurt ever again.

"I've been in love with you for so long," Blaine tells him, eyes closed and lips still brushing against Kurt's. "I didn't think you'd ever want to be with someone like me."

"Someone who's brave and smart and sweet and who cooks amazing food? What's not to love?" Kurt seals the deal with yet another kiss.

"I owe everything to you."

"And you were the reason I got up every morning, the reason I got to where I am today is because of you, I owe you just as much."

In a lot of ways New York isn't what Kurt expected at all. It's so much better.


End file.
